BoatsSabre Yachts 28-1

Sabre Yachts 28-1

Masthead Sloop · Fin With Rudder On Skeg · 1971–1976

A Roger Hewson-designed masthead sloop featuring a skeg-mounted rudder and a stiff 42% ballast ratio for coastal cruising

Designed by Roger Hewson & Sabre.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin With Rudder On Skeg

See her sail

The Sabre Yachts 28-1, on the water

The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.

Footage from Acorn To Arabella

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

LivelySea-kindly

Her moderate displacement on a moderate beam gives 23 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 23
CoastalBluewater

1.89 — just under the 2.0 offshore line; her beam is modest for her weight.

Capsize screening 1.89
LightHeavy

259 — moderately heavy for her waterline, a balanced cruising weight.

Displacement / length 259
EasygoingPowered-up

17.4 — moderate power for her weight; steady, all-round performance.

Sail area / displacement 17.4
TenderStiff

42% of her weight is ballast — stiff, standing up well to her sails.

Ballast 42%

A capable cruiser that sits just inside the offshore line — coastal work with real passages in her.

What the fleet has seen

The Sabre Yachts 28-1, as the fleet has seen it

Derived from the videos the fleet has analysed of this model. ▶ marks open the moment aboard.

The Sabre Yachts 28-1 is a masthead sloop designed by Roger Hewson and built by Sabre Yachts between 1971 and 1976, with fewer than 212 hulls produced. This 8.5-meter sailboat features a fin keel with a rudder on a skeg, a 2.7-meter beam, and a 1.3-meter draft.11:11 Its displacement is 3129 kg. A small number of Sabre Yachts 28-1s were delivered with a ketch rig. The model is part of a fleet used by Bowtistern Boating, a sailing school in Oriental, North Carolina, for youth programs and American Sailing Association certifications.10:56

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen once across one channel of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
42.0%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
17.4
Displacement / length
258.9
Comfort ratio
23.4
Capsize screening
1.89
Hull speed
6.4 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
734
Hull
Hull type
Fin with rudder on skeg
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
1971–1976
Units built
199
Designer
Roger Hewson, Sabre
Builder
Sabre Yachts

Boats like this, on the water

More boats like her, on the water

Comparable boats the fleet has on camera: same type, within a quarter of her length. Open the boat, or watch the video — a timestamp means she only appears in passing.

Islander Yachts 288.51 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Robert Perry-designed masthead sloop with over 400 built, favored by the designer himself for her balanced performance
How To Buy Sailboats On Facebook Marketplace6:20from Practical Sailor
Mirage Yachts 2758.38 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Philippe H. Harle-designed masthead sloop built for coastal cruising with a stable fin keel and spade rudder
Preparing to go from Great Lakes to Blue Water Sailors. Canada to Europe, via Greenland.2:23from Sailing Northern Brees
Ranger Yachts 29 (Mull)8.71 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA 1970s masthead sloop with a skeg-hung rudder, offering a balanced 1.98 capsize screening for coastal cruising
EP#328 San Diego Sailing with Justin14:43from Sailing Into Oblivion
Contessa 288.43 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Doug Peterson-designed masthead sloop with a fin keel and spade rudder, built for balanced performance since 1977
How to prepare for long-distance cruising5:47from practicalboatowner
Hunter Marine 278.28 mSame hull family0.3 m shorterA John Cherubini-designed masthead sloop built for a decade, featuring a skeg-mounted rudder and shoal-draft options
What Happened to Hunter Sailboats? The History Most People Don't Know.from All About Sailing
San Juan 288.74 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA 1977 masthead sloop with a 50% ballast ratio and fin keel, designed for balanced performance in a compact 28-foot hull
A little bonus episode14:04from Sailing Magic Carpet

The family

Boats like this

Nearby designs by size, type, and era — worth a look alongside her.

Sabre Yachts 28-3A short-run production of 48 hulls, offering a compact 8.66-metre footprint with a stable 40% ballast ratioSabre Yachts 30-1A limited 100-hull production run featuring a 1.52-metre draft and a 3900-kilogram displacement for coastal stabilitySabre Yachts 28-2A masthead sloop featuring a fin keel with a skeg-mounted rudder, designed by Roger Hewson for coastal cruisingSabre Yachts 36A 1985-1990 production cruiser with a 41% ballast ratio and a 1.93-metre draft for deep-water coastal performanceSabre Yachts 32A masthead sloop with a skeg-mounted rudder, designed for balanced performance and stability in a mid-sized cruiserSabre Yachts 30-2A short-run masthead sloop from the Sabre design team, featuring a skeg-mounted rudder for stability and control

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

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